Over the weekend the Fargo Forum editorial board praised Republican budget fix passed during a special session last week. Taking exception to that editorial is state Senator Tyler Axness (D-Fargo) who argues in a rebuttal letter that Republicans ignored the needy by eschewing a Democratic proposal to spend reserve funds on bringing in matching federal…
Hundreds Of Activists Pack Republican District Conventions Across North Dakota
In his column today Mike Jacobs alludes to some interesting outcomes for Republican legislative races in three districts across the state: In District 28, William Kretschmar—a long-serving member of the North Dakota House—was defeated. He’s regarded as too tolerant on social issues. Likewise in District 36, Alan Fehr lost to a candidate who presented himself…
For North Dakota Democrats, Actions Give Lie To Narratives
North Dakota Democrats want North Dakotans to “be angry” and elect more Democrats, only they can’t find candidates to run for key positions.
In North Dakota Republicans Govern While Democrats Complain
North Dakota Democrats, particularly the younger ones, seem more interested in melodrama than policy and governing. I’ve written about this often. Thoroughly marginalized, and denied the authority to make decisions in the legislature, previous generations of Democrat lawmakers sought ways to work with Republicans and influence legislation as best they could. But there’s a new…
Democrats Accuse Republicans Of "Broken Promise" On Conservation Funding
For the past couple of years conservation activists pushing to create a tax dollar slush fund for themselves have had Republican lawmakers trying to stay ahead of them with knee-jerk policy making. During the 2013 session, after conservation activists failed to get a constitutional amendment on the state ballot due to petition fraud, lawmakers created…
Bill Seeks To Dissolve State Boards That Haven't Met In More Than Two Years
Did you know that the State of North Dakota has at least 144 official boards and commissions? I’m not joking. That’s the number listed on Governor’s Office website, and there are probably a great deal more. They encompass everything from the Beef Commission to the Dairy Board to boards overseeing cosmetologists and barbers. But how…
SAB/VNL Poll: Kalk, Fedorchak Enjoy Wide Leads Over Democrats
The three members of North Dakota’s Public Service Commission serve six-year terms. Normally, one member of the PSC is on the ballot every election cycle. Commissioner Brian Kalk, who was first elected in 2008, is up for re-election this year. Also on the ballot is Julie Fedorchak, who was appointed by Governor Jack Dalrymple to…
NDGOP Statewide Candidates Cash Advantage, But Dems Close In Ag Commission Race
The candidates for statewide office in North Dakota have filed the pre-general general election reports, and to the extent that fundraising can tell us anything, it appears as though most Republican candidates have a pretty major advantage over Democrats heading into November. Here’s a breakdown of the numbers from the pre-general reports. All Republicans vs.…
North Dakota Republicans Cleaning Up Newspaper Endorsements, But Do They Matter?
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how much newspaper endorsements matter any more. Maybe they did once upon a time, but I think their value has diminished in this digital age where everyone with a blog, a Facebook page, or a Twitter account can make an endorsement. In North Dakota, particularly, I feel like the…
North Dakota ACLU Decries Voter ID Law, But Doesn't Know How Many People It Impacted
In a transparently partisan maneuver, the ACLU of North Dakota and a Fargo non-profit called the Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living (which also just happens to be the employer of state Senator Tyler Axness, who is currently running as a Democrat candidate for the PSC) has sent a letter to Secretary of State Al…